The President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is the Chair of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), has called for a strong regional response to tackle acts of piracy and maritime destabilisation in the Gulf of Guinea.
Referring to data, President Akufo-Addo indicated that the increase in piracy and maritime destabilisation in the Gulf in 2020 was 40% over that of 2019.
“We also need to engage on the growing menace to the maritime security of our region. Acts of piracy and maritime destabilisation are on rapid increase in the Gulf of Guinea, illustrated by the data, which indicates a forty percent (40%) rise in pirate activities in the Gulf in 2020 over 2019. This calls for a strong regional response,” the ECOWAS Chair noted.
He was delivering his welcome address as Chair of the Commission at the 58th Ordinary Session of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Governments, held virtually last Saturday.
President Akufo-Addo also touched on what he believed was a critical issue – the single currency.
He made it known that the Commission had agreed to revise the convergence policy, about which the report was given at the meeting.
According to him, the challenge in relation to meeting the convergence criteria should not stand in the way of the progress made so far.
He said: “I am of the view that the difficulties involved in meeting the convergence criteria should not stand in the way of the rapid establishment of a payments and settlement system in ECOWAS, which will enable a rapid expansion of trade and investment in the community. We will receive, at this Summit, a report on progress on this matter.”
The eco, the single currency for the ECOWAS Community, was to be launched in 2020, but unfortunately, suffered a postponement, as the leaders resolved to follow a new roadmap.
That aside, President Akufo-Addo asserted that it was a challenge the Commission should accept if it wanted to achieve strong economic growth, built on resilient economies.
He urged his colleague Heads of States to remain focused on the implementation of the Commission’s programmes and projects in all areas to ensure the well-being of their peoples.
To best attain this objective, President Akufo-Addo added that regional integration must be strengthened.
He then linked it to the entry into force of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), which begun trading January 1, 2020.
The AfCFTA, according to President Akufo-Addo, presents ECOWAS with additional opportunities to reach its objective.
“The AfCFTA, as we all know, is, arguably, the most important initiative launched by the African Union. We all have a duty to ensure its success.
“I remain confident that, as is customary, the quality of our discussions and the decisions we take together will be commensurate with the ambitions we have for our region,” he stressed.
The post Maritime Destabilisation on the rise -Akufo-Addo appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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